Jewish Education in Montevideo, Uruguay
Until December 2007, Montevideo had three, well-functioning Jewish private schools. Recent economic constraints however, led to the closure of Ariel, one of the city’s Jewish institutions. The two remaining day schools are the Escuela Integral Hebreo Uruguaya (EIHU) – a pluralistic, Zionist institution including nursery, primary and secondary students and Yavneh – the orthodox community-school, also including nursery, primary and secondary education.

The EIHU has 900 students and recently absorbed the majority of students from Ariel. Yavneh has approximately 300 students. Both institutions comply with national education requisites and provide a high level of Jewish and secular education. Both institutions are in serious need of economic support as the number of students requiring scholarship assistance stands at approximately half of the community’s Jewish children.

There is currently no other organization dedicated to providing scholarship funds for needy children in Uruguay. In December 2007, Michael Ettedgui, of Yaldeinu visited the Jewish schools of Montevideo, and forged working relationships with the administrators and lay leaders of the E.I.H.U. Yaldeinu has provided scholarships enabling needy children to attend the E.I.H.U. and ensuring that they are not forced to end their Jewish education prematurely.